“THEY JUST WANTED TO WATCH THEIR GRANDDAUGHTERS PLAY…” — GRANDMOTHER, TWO DAUGHTERS AND 13-YEAR-OLD BOY AMONG SIX KILLED IN WISCONSIN PLANE CRASH

It was meant to be a special family surprise — a chance to cheer from the stands, share precious moments and make memories together. But on the journey home, a family’s happiness turned into unimaginable heartbreak.

Mary K. Brion, 67, had travelled with her two daughters, Amanda Haremza, 45, and Kayla Turpin, 39, and her 13-year-old grandson, Rylan Haremza, to surprise her granddaughters at their high school volleyball game in Salem, Wisconsin.

The family was flying home on October 13 when their small plane crashed during a storm near Dellona, Wisconsin.

All four died, along with the two other people aboard: pilot Ronald R. Riek, 63, and certified flight instructor Tyler J. Harvey, 36.

A surprise visit filled with love

For Mary, watching her grandchildren play volleyball was something she treasured.

Her husband, David Brion, explained that the family lived around five hours away by car, making it difficult to attend every game. This trip gave them a rare opportunity to be there in person and surprise the girls.

“My daughters grew up playing volleyball, and my wife just loved to go watch the grandchildren,” David told the Associated Press.

He recalled how excited they had been about the journey.

“We never had much money, she just wanted to find her joy,” he said.

Those words have taken on a devastating meaning since the crash. A trip organised around family, love and a special sporting event became the last journey for four generations of memories carried by one family.

A grandfather’s heartbreak

David is now mourning his wife, his two daughters and his grandson.

He remembered Rylan as a “wonderful little kid” who loved hunting, fishing, football and wrestling.

At just 13, Rylan had so much of life ahead of him. His interests reflected the ordinary joys of childhood — sports, outdoor adventures and time with family.

The loss has left relatives and their wider community struggling to comprehend how quickly everything changed.

What happened during the flight?

The Piper PA-46 Malibu was travelling from Kenosha to Menomonie when it crashed in a wooded area near Mirror Lake State Park.

According to preliminary information released by the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot reported icing conditions at approximately 24,000 feet and requested permission to descend.

Air traffic control approved the descent. The aircraft then entered a right-hand descending turn that increased in rate until communications and tracking data were lost.

Emergency services received reports of the crash at approximately 9:31 p.m. local time. Responders reached the wooded crash site and found all six occupants had died.

Investigators are examining the wreckage and surrounding area to establish what happened. The precise cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Two more lives lost

The tragedy also claimed the lives of Riek, the aircraft’s pilot and owner, and Harvey, a certified flight instructor.

Riek was remembered by members of the local aviation community as an experienced pilot and a respected friend. His death has added to the grief felt by people in the Menomonie area, where another fatal plane crash occurred the previous year.

The six victims came from a community where many people knew one another, making the news especially painful for family friends, schools and local aviation colleagues.

A community left grieving

Rob Stewart, superintendent of Alma Area Schools, said the news had affected the entire small rural community. He described the family as exceptionally kind and offered condolences on behalf of the school district.

For David Brion and the relatives left behind, the loss is deeply personal. A grandmother who loved watching her grandchildren, two daughters and a young boy who enjoyed sports and the outdoors are now being remembered for the lives they lived and the people they loved.

The investigation will seek answers about the final moments of the flight. But for those grieving, no explanation can restore the family members who never made it home.

Four members of one family went to surprise their loved ones. They never returned. May Mary, Amanda, Kayla, Rylan, Ronald and Tyler rest in peace. 💔